As is known, incontinence pads of the above-mentioned type have a substantially rectangular shape and comprise two sheets, one impermeable, the other permeable, between which a section of absorbent padding material is interposed.
At the outline of the incontinence pad the two superposed sheets define a perimetric edge with a predetermined width.
The two longitudinal sides of the edge, at their central zone, have an elasticated segment.
As is known, machines for packaging incontinence pads of the above-mentioned type comprise a unit which folds them, about two fold lines which are transversal to their longitudinal axis, into three parts, respectively forming a front portion, a central portion and a rear portion of the incontinence pad.
Incontinence pads folded in this way into three superposed portions are then inserted individually or in groups in a wrapper by a further unit of the packaging machine.
It is also known that incontinence pads are required to have an anatomical shape.
That means that when the packaging of each incontinence pad is opened, the incontinence pad adopts a cup shape, in which the rear portion is angled, on the inner face side, towards the central and front portions, and in which the above-mentioned elasticated segments are angled towards each other, also on the side forming the inner face of the incontinence pad.
It should be noticed that the above-mentioned anatomical angles are difficult to obtain using prior art folding units.
Consequently, when the user opens the incontinence pad it is substantially flat or in any case angled in a way that is not anatomically satisfactory.